Baby-Led Weaning with Messy Me

We are now a good few months in to weaning Henry and I have to say I am loving it! I was really dreading it this time round after having such an easy time with Alfie. But we’ve been extremely lucky to be blessed with two fantastic eaters. There’s not much I’ve given Henry yet that he doesn’t like (except cucumber!) and the baby led weaning is working brilliantly again. The one thing I’m not enjoying? The mess! When we were asked to review the Messy Me highchair cushion, I jumped at the chance!

We have an Ikea Antilop highchair that we bought for Alfie. It was used for just over a year with him yet is still in fantastic condition. The inserts and covers however were starting to look a little worse for wear. I’d been looking at getting some new ones when I was contacted by Messy Me to ask if I wanted to try out their highchair cushion. I was very excited to accept as I’d heard how easy they were to keep clean.

The product arrived very quickly and we were sent a gorgeous navy blue insert covered in white stars. It is so pretty, I love the colour of it. The fabric is oilcloth, which is wipe clean so it’s easy to clean up after a messy dinner (of which we have plenty!) I love the design of the cushion. It’s not just a back and two sides, it also has a bottom for Henry to sit on. I think this is nice because it gives his bottom a little padding, as well as his back.

The size of the cushion is perfect – it’s big enough to keep him safely cocooned in his seat, but small enough that he’s not squished. I think this is the perfect insert for growing babies – with Alfie he only used the IKEA insert for about a month as he was so big but I was always worried he was uncomfortable! Henry is a bit smaller but I can see this insert lasting him until he outgrows the highchair!

The one thing I hated about the IKEA insert is how hard it is to clean. Both my kids are VERY messy when it comes to eating, which has never bothered me, I’m happy to see them enjoy their food. But it does mean the highchair gets covered in food, and with the IKEA insert being cotton fabric, it basically needs to go in the washing machine when it’s dirty. I had two, but there were still times that we had no insert to use because the cover was in the wash.

The Messy Me insert has been a game changer in that respect. I can just wipe it down with a damp cloth or baby wipe, and it’s spotlessly clean again. Even tough stains have been no match for the messy me insert! You do have to be careful with some foods. Whilst the oilcloth is pretty tough, it’s not foolproof – tomato, black/blueberries and carrot have been known to stain if you’re not quick enough with cleaning. A few of our white stars are now a faint shade of orange, however it’s not really noticeable and it doesn’t affect the use or look of the insert at all.

Overall, we love the Messy Me highchair insert. It does the job more than well, is comfortable and easy to clean and also looks great. I would highly recommend this product for babies who are weaning, and beyond!

Head over to my facebookpage to check out the video I created to show just how it stands up to the job of Henry devouring his lunch!

The Face Behind The Blog

Hello, I'm Abi and I am the face behind the blog, Something About Baby. This is my space where I write all about being mum to Alfie, who was born in July 2015, and wife to Craig. Check out my About Me section to find out more.